Crossing Boundaries
by Aelia O'Hession
Summary: As a recent immigrant to the United States, a young woman finds herself the victim of a violent crime. When the BAU team begins the investigation, they discover that there is more to this crime than what is on the surface.
1. Please

**Helping Hands**

**By: Aelia O'Hession**

**Disclaimer: **This is a work of fanfiction. I am merely borrowing the genius of another for my own sordid needs. Therefore, I own nothing dealing with Criminal Minds.

**Note:** This is slightly AU from the current season because the female agents are Elle and JJ. Having things this way suits my needs, so please don't be upset with me.

**Chapter 1: Please**

I had absolutely no idea of what had just happened to me.

Instead of looking up at the bight blue cloudless sky, I was staring at the grimy pavement of an alley. My entire body ached – what I could see of myself was covered in purpling bruises and blood. The sight of the blood made my stomach churn.

From behind me came the dull sound of boots on the pavement and coarse laughter. "Pathetic," the male voice muttered. With a wince of pain, I turned my head, trying to get a look at my company. All I saw was a retreating figure, clothed in dark colors, calmly making his way out of the alley.

Blackness began to creep into the edges of my vision. I was tempted to succumb to the darkness because it promised freedom from my pain. The desire for the pain to go away was great. But greater was the determination that swept through me like a tidal wave, keeping the treacherous darkness away. Carefully I began to rise, desperately trying to ignore the pain that was in every move I made. My body protested movement greatly, sending waves of pain rolling though me at the slightest movement. A few times, I stumbled and fell back to the ground, ready to concede defeat, but my mind would not allow me to do such a thing.

On stubbornness alone, I managed to rise to my feet and begin walking, however slow and painful it was. Anything was better than lying in that alley, drenched in a pool of my own blood. Passersby on their way to work, as I should have been, gave me a mixture of glances ranging from astonishment, worry, embarrassment and even contempt.

Hanging my head so that my hair, however matted with blood it was, concealed my face. I allowed my feet to take me whichever way they pleased, at a pace that caused me as little pain as possible.

I seemed to exist outside of time, for I could not tell how long I wandered the streets. There came a point in the day where there seemed to be no one on the streets. Those whom I did pass barely spared me a look. A sob escaped my lips; there was no one with even a scrap of compassion with which to help me.

Then there was a man.

He stood idly on the sidewalk with a careworn leather briefcase slung casually over his shoulder.

My pride collapsed in my desperation for help. With a few stumbling steps, I reached the man. I was nearly beside him, yet my vision was so blurred that I could not make out his features clearly. As the last of my strength gave out, I reached out and grabbed his elbow.

"Please……help me."

Then my world went dark.


	2. Trust

**Crossing Boundaries**

**Chapter 2: Trust **

I awoke to the strange music of beeping and humming machines. It took a while for my mind to shake the last bits of darkness from the corners. I quickly registered that my pain had lessened considerably, and some of the bruises were beginning to fade. Eventually, my mind processed that I was in a hospital. A hospital? How had I gotten to a hospital? Panic welled up, making me bolt upright.

"Oh!" There was a cry of surprise from a woman, who I assumed to be a nurse. She made quick work of checking me over, and getting me to drink a glass of water. "Finally awake, I see." She muttered something else that I did not catch.

She left me for a few moments then returned with a group of people following behind her. It was comprised of men and two women, all dressed in varying degrees of professionalism.

The eldest looking man stepped forward and addressed me. "Good to see you awake, miss. It's been nearly four days since Reid brought you in." He gestured to a young man whom I immediately recognized as the one I had approached on the street. I took an instant liking to these two men. Their demeanor was gentle, and they did nothing which could possibly scare me.

The elder man continued. "I'm Jason Gideon, and this is Dr. Spencer Reid." He then gestured behind him. "These others are Derek Morgan, Aaron Hotchner, Elle Greenaway and Jennifer Jaureau. We are all members of the FBI."

Before Gideon could continue, the man previously identified as Hotchner stepped forward to address me. "Would it be possible for you to discuss with us what happened to you?"

His request, however simple, was too much for me to handle in front of a large group of people. I shook my head furiously, declining the request.

"Let's just give her some time," Dr. Reid suggested calmly. He started to usher the other agents out of the door.

"Wait," I said in a voice barely above a whisper. Everyone stopped moving, waiting to hear what I had to say next. "I'll talk to Gideon and Dr. Reid."

My statement is met with silence. The agents not named looked at each other, clearly annoyed and not liking this idea.

"I don't think…" Hotchner starts to object, but I continue to talk over him in my quiet voice. "No Gideon and Reid, no information." I am surprised by my own boldness.

From the corner of my eye, I see Gideon gesture to Hotchner that everything will be all right. After receiving a dismissive nod from Gideon, the team members file silently out of the door. Dr. Reid firmly closes the door behind his fellows, making sure they cannot eavesdrop.

Looking from Gideon to Reid I pose a question to them: "My actions confuse you? I shall explain."

Young Dr. Reid looks sharply at me, as though surprised by something. "Your accent… southeastern European?"

I favor Reid with a smile. "Croatian; I am an immigrant." I pull myself upright in bed, wincing as my healing wounds protest movement. "My name is Anika Paranosz and I have been living in America for five months now. I work as a maid in a hotel."

Gideon leans against the wall, observing me. I do not find his silent observation intrusive because it is done so casually. I am aware of Dr. Reid observing me as well while he awkwardly sits in the chair at my bedside. Nothing in their posture and actions would suggest that they are doing the job assigned to them.

"Miss Paranosz, do you mind telling us about your attack?"

"Please, call me Anika. I shall tell my story as well as I am able."

There is a softness in Reid's voice and expression as he says, "That's all we ask."

In carefully spoken English, I begin to tell my tale. "I was on my way to work that morning, walking as I do every single day. The alley has always been a sort of, cut-through. Nothing seemed different about that day; everything happened as it normally does. I had walked halfway down the alley when it happened. There was some sort of shuffling sound behind me, then a prick at the base of my neck as something pierced my skin." I gave a shudder as the events of that morning came swarming back to me. Gideon moved forward to sit on the edge of my hospital bed. It was a gesture of comfort and comradeship. Taking a deep breath, I continued on. "When I came to myself, everything seemed to be in a haze. I had a feeling as thought I was almost flying. That's when the pain began." I closed my eyes tightly, wishing to squeeze the images out of my eyes. My breathing came in shuddering gasps that shook my small frame.

A warm hand clasped my own. Though I did not know who held my hand in that critical moment, it was enough to get me through. I knew, somewhere in the back of my mind, that stopping my story now would not be any help to these men.

"Because of my condition, I was unable to resist what happened. It started out as a simple beating, nothing terribly violent about it. But then things turned for the worse. The violence in each subsequent hit, in each moment of my rape was appalling and overwhelming. Once finished with his deplorable actions, the man left, walking out onto the main street as though nothing had just happened in the alley. I never saw his face, only his hands – great bug hands made for violence."

Gideon was the first to speak after a long silence. The silence he broke was heavy with understanding and wonder at the tale just told. "Thank you, Anika." In a fatherly tone he added, "Get some rest now."

I looked at Gideon and Reid, holding their eyes as I looked at them. "Thank you, both of you, for listening."

Dr. Reid smiled at me. "Rest well. We're going to do everything we can for you."

Feeling like a small child again, I nodded my head and dutifully settled down into my bed. As Gideon and Reid left, my eyes began to droop, sleep becoming a beautiful option. Before falling into deep sleep, the last thing I head was the door clicking shut, signaling that my new friends had left. I lay peacefully, feeling for the first time that I could put that fateful day behind me.


	3. Amazed

**Crossing Boundaries**

**Chapter 3: Amazed**

**Note: **This is not in Anika's POVPlease don't get confused.

Outside of the room, Gideon and Reid hold a private conference with the doctor that had examined Anika Paranosz.

The doctor opened a file and read off some of the most important information. "She suffered incredible trauma all over her body. There was no concentration to any particular area; he hurt them all. There was great damage done to her vagina; it is probable that she will experience complications if she ever bears children. Also, there were extremely high levels of ketamine hydrochloride in her system, most likely used as a sedative. If it was used as a sedative, that would explain the lack of defensive wounds on her. It's amazing that she's still alive."

Gideon nodded his thanks to the doctor and took the file from him. Turning to Reid he asked, "What do you make of all this?"

"To be honest, I'm just as surprised as the doctor that she's alive. From a non-criminalist standpoint, surviving something like that takes astronomical will power and strength." He ran a hand through his hand. "No matter how often I see things like this, I still can't get over how someone could be so cruel. What she did speaks volumes."

"Indeed it does," Gideon conceded. "However, it is what she didn't say that is even more poignant. Her facial expressions betrayed what she could not say outright." He began to wander back towards the agents who had been abandoned in the waiting room. "Anika is our responsibility. She trusts us – only the two of us. We owe it to her to do the best that we possibly can."

Dr. Reid was surprised by these words. Rarely did Jason Gideon get this attached to a victim and associated crime. He wondered what was different about this particular case.

Only the passage of time could show how different this case actually was.


	4. Division

**Crossing Boundaries **

**Chapter 4: Division**

When the team returned to their headquarters, everyone immediately began asking questions about the young woman. The ruckus was overwhelming; each wanted to be heard over the other. Finally, Gideon waved his hands in a manner which suggested that they settle down.

"Everything shall be explained." He pulled out the newly created case file and started to lay out the basics. "Anika Paranosz: female, twenty-two years old, recent immigrant to the US from Croatia. Physical description: slight build, dark wavy hair, grey eyes…"

"Enough with the prelims," Elle cut in. "What did she say to you and Reid?"

Gideon and Reid shared a look. Reid stepped up, taking a deep breath before he began talking about the interview with Anika. "Miss Paranosz suffered greatly at the hands of a man whose violence knows no bounds. She was sedated with ketamine to ensure that she could not fight back. Her body suffered severe trauma - trauma that should have in all likelihood killed her."

"Is there any evidence?" Morgan snapped.

"The unsub was quite careful to avoid leaving any evidence." Reid glanced sadly at the file.

Elle growled in frustration. "The bastard left nothing? You're sure there's nothing?" She grabbed the file from Reid's hands, flipping through to see if anything could be used as evidence.

"Elle," Gideon warned. "Don't let your encounter cloud your judgment." He chose his next words carefully. "We only have two options: 1) look into immigration and see what reports have been made or 2) wait for him to do this again."

Neither of these options sat well with the team members. They wanted to do something. The Bureau had been slow lately, and they were itching for a good case. Miss Paranosz's incident provided the perfect opportunity to get back out in the field. What goaded them was that Anika had only spoken to Gideon and Reid.

Reid and Gideon, on the other hand, were hoping that they did not have to wait for Anika's attacker to strike out again.

The team was starting to divide. All because of a young Croatian woman.


	5. Sisters

**Crossing Boundaries**

**Chapter 5: Sisters**

A few days after my talk with Jason Gideon and Dr. Spencer Reid, I was released from the hospital. At the desk, I was told that the BAU was going to pay for my hospital bill, as ordered by Gideon. My heart swelled with gratitude at this simple act of kindness. There was no way that I could have paid for it myself. Dressed in donated clothes, I walked out of the hospital onto the unforgiving streets that had ignored me only days before.

The other immigrant women I worked with at the hospital had somehow learned about what had happened to me. They all looked at me strangely, as though I was carrying some sort of disease. It was disconcerting to see their sideways glances as I walked past on my way to clean a room.

The only one who did not look at me strangely was my only friend: Nadya Czajkawski. We had traveled to America on the same ship, even though she came from Russia and I from Croatia. We had bonded immediately, becoming almost like sisters as we journeyed to a brand new place.

"Anika, you're back!" Her boisterous cry made me jump slightly. She came running towards me, wrapping me in a hug. "I can't believe you are alive."

I looked at her sharply.

Nadya gave me a shy look. "Some people from the government came asking about you. They told us what happened and asked us questions about you." She looked at me with huge chocolate eyes. "Oh Ani, I could not believe what I heard! But you are back, all safe."

The next couple of days were rough; my coworkers did not look at me as they once had. There was an increasing sense of alienation from them. But I did not mind so much. I had Nadya; that was enough for me. On my way to work, I had to take the long way because I could not stand to see that alley. I feared that if I walked down it, the same thing would happen again.

The only place where I did not feel hostility was in the tenement apartment that Nadya and I shared. It actually had quite a nice view of the nearby park. The apartment was simply furnished, given the meager wages that we received for working in the hotel. There were a few indications of our native lands; bright colors, traditional artwork and music filled our lonely life. Our wages were just enough to pay rent, buy food, and have a little extra for savings. We were not in a position to live extravagantly or make frivolous money decisions.

We were preparing our meager supper one night when there came a knock at the door. This was most unusual, for we never had anyone come visit.

"Who is there?" I call.

"Um… it's Dr. Spencer Reid"

I gave a cry of delight at hearing that name. I hurried towards the door, eager to see him again. Nadya looked skeptical. "Who?" she asked.

"The man who saved my life." Her face softened at hearing this description of Dr. Reid. I opened the door to reveal him standing there, a little awkwardly, pacing back and forth. "Please, come in."

When he walked in, his eyes widened at the sight of our apartment. I sensed in him a conflict of emotion. He seemed to not understand how such a place could look as it did, given the area in which we lived. His tall lanky form took up a great deal in the small space, giving him an even more awkward air.

I laughed a little to myself before speaking. "Dr. Reid, this is my najbolji prijatelj (best friend) Nadya Czajkawski. She and I were on the same ship to America."

Reid smiled kindly at Nadya and shook her hand in greeting. Turning back to me he said, "I just came by to see how you were doing. I didn't mean to intrude…"

I quickly eased his fears. "It is not a bother. I am slowly settling back into normal life. It has been difficult at work though." I hung my head, dark waves falling in front of my face.

"The women at work act as though she carries the plague. I say they are fools."

Nadya's profound loyalty was touching. I give her a weak smile in thanks. She merely pats me on the shoulder before speaking to Dr. Reid again. "We were just about to sit to supper, care to join us? We have some delicious food prepared."

"Um…" Reid shifted for a moment, trying to decide what to do. "Um…sure." His social awkwardness was endearing in a way. His awkwardness matched Nadya and me's cultural awkwardness. We led him to our simple table, which was laden with what little food we could afford. With hospitable efficiency, we sat him and set a third place setting before him.

Coming from backgrounds rich in folk traditions, both Nadya and I offered a blessing to the earth that provided the food for us. Then, we served up the thick savory stew and freshly baked bread. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, I turned my attention to Reid and posed a question to him.

"Dr. Reid, I find it unfair that you know so much about me yet I know nothing about you."

He looked at me, a confused look crossing his face. "Oh, well, um…where should I start?"

"Where ever you want. Any insight into your mysterious nature would be a blessing." Nadya sniggered at this, and I kicked her under the table.

Reid gawked at the both of us. "Mysterious? How can a socially awkward young genius with 3 Ph.D.'s, an IQ of 187, an eidetic memory, and the ability to read 20,000 words per minute be mysterious?" He waved a hand in the air, motioning to himself. "I stick out like a sore thumb! My sense of style is a few years behind current trends, and every other sentence I speak betrays my nature."

Nadya and I looked at each other, smiles widening across our faces. We could hold it in no longer; we burst forth with uncontrolled laughter at Dr. Reid's display. We had never encountered such a strange man in our native countries, and to see him so distressed was amusing. The rest of our conversation was quite leisurely. We all felt free to discuss things that we would not bring up in daily conversation. Through the course of conversation, I revealed that it was my greatest wish to someday open a ballet studio.

"Ballet," Nadya gasped. "I had no idea you danced! Oh, you must show us! Please?"

There was no possible way for me to deny Nadya. She looked at me with those huge chocolate eyes, and I knew that to not show her would break her heart. Sighing, and looking to Reid for support (of which I found none) I left the table and kicked off my shoes. I went though a simple little routine, just enough to whet Nadya's appetite for a show. Without meaning to, I lost myself within the music and allowed myself to be become the dance, maroon skirt making soft swooshing sounds every time I moved. When I finished, Nadya was nearly bouncing in her chair like a small child she was so pleased.

"You'll have to teach me, Ani. It looks so beautiful!"HeHelping

Reid clapped politely, showing his appreciation of my embarrassing display. He rose from his chair and spoke with a note of regret. "I'm terribly sorry, but I must be going. Gideon's probably pacing, waiting for my arrival at headquarters. Thanks for your wonderful hospitality and amazing meal."

He gathered his coat and constant companion of worn briefcase and headed for the door.

"Dr. Reid…"

He turned back to face us. With a companionable look he said, "Please, call me either Reid or Spencer. Doctor makes me feel pompous."

I was reminded of the day we had met in the hospital when we had a similar exchange of words. I smiled as I remembered that day, despite all of the pain I have been through. "Spencer," I continued, "could you please pass my gratitude to Gideon for taking care of my hospital bill?"

"Certainly, Anika. Have a good night ladies." Without another word, he was gone.

Nadya turned a playful face to mine. "That was the man who saved you?"

I gave her a hard look, trying to read her. "And?"

She merely laughed at me. "I'll leave that for you to discover." With a swish of skirt, she headed off to the kitchen to begin cleaning up, leaving me to ponder her cryptic words.

What was that infernal woman on about?


	6. Comfortable

**Crossing Boundaries**

**Chapter 6: Comfortable**

Reid hurried as fast as he could to the BAU headquarters. He impatiently endured waiting in the security line, hoping he would not have too much groveling to do when he faced Gideon. Too annoyed to take the elevator, he rushed up the stairs as fast as his lanky legs could carry him.

He rushed in, breathless. "Gideon, I'm so sorry. I only went to see how she was doing…"

"And she made you stay for supper."

Reid was taken aback. "How'd you know?"

"It's part of her culture to offer people hospitality." Gideon looked up from his paperwork. "I expected it to happen."

Reid blinked at his superior for a few moments. "Oh." He placed his things at his desk and looked around, expecting to see signs of life from his fellow agents. "Where's everyone else?"

"Not coming….because I didn't ask them to. You and I seem to be the only ones who truly know the intense nature of this crime."

"This is affecting Anika more than they understand," Reid said in response. "There is a tremendous toll being taken on her. You'd think Elle would understand, given what happened."

Gideon sighed. He could see the division that was starting amongst the other agents. "Elle is the most vicious one about trying to catch our unsub. She doesn't understand that we don't have enough information on him to make any significant headway." He threw a stack of papers across the room to Reid. "You and I are going to be here all night, so get comfy."

Reid settled into his desk chair, wondering just how many cups of coffee it was going to take to get through the night.


	7. Emotion

**Crossing Boundaries**

**Chapter 7: Emotion**

It has been a week since I have been released from the hospital. My life, while slowly improving, has not reached the level of normalcy that I had before. The tension at work had eased slightly, but my coworkers were still wary of me. They kept their distance, leaving me alone for the most part. Personally, I did not mind the isolation; my antisocial nature preferred silence over mindless chatter. I still could not bring myself to walk down the alley, effectively adding ten minutes to my daily walk to work.

Life with Nadya continued just as it had, as though my attack was only a slight hiccup in our daily routine. She still refused to explain to me the nature of the words she had spoken the night Spencer was here for supper. It frustrated me greatly, but that was the nature of Nadya.

I was home alone today; Nadya had work and I had a day off. I alternated between cleaning the tiny apartment and dancing in out common room. Ever since Nadya had made me dance, it had left a fire in my blood that I could not quench. It stirred my blood with a fervor that I had not felt since I was home on Croatia. My bare feet padded silently across the wood floor as I moved in patterns that made my long teal dress swirl about my ankles.

I nearly fell over when the phone rang. It was such a rare occurrence with us that it was startling each time it happened. On the third ring, I answered.

"Hello?"

"Miss Paranosz? This is Jason Gideon from the BAU."

"Gideon!" I exclaimed. "How are you?"

"I'm well, working hard. I'm actually calling about something important. Is there any way that you could come to headquarters today?"

"Certainly. What time shall I be there?"

Gideon paused for a moment before speaking again. "As soon as you can. Reid will be waiting in the lobby for you."

"Alright, I'm on my way."

After hanging up with Gideon, I wrote a note for Nadya.

_Nadya – _

_Gone to the BAU. Not sure when I'll be back. Take care._

_- Anika _

Slipping on my sandals, I grabbed my shawl and purse which sat on the entry table. It was a pleasant walk to the BAU. The walk gave me a chance to enjoy the beautiful spring day of Virginia. Since my immigration, there had been few opportunities for me to explore my new home.

The vastness of Washington DC always made me feel overpowered. Gleaming buildings and innumerable cars made me feel as though I was in an alien city of the future. But my insecurity stemmed from living in a small, sheltered village in Croatia for my entire life. Life was simple; nothing was terribly modernized.

I found the FBI easily enough. It was a hub of unceasing activity. I stood before its doors with extreme trepidation. Mustering what little courage I could find, I walked into the bustling lobby. My eyes frantically scanned the space, trying to find Spencer Reid. People in suits jostled me roughly, muttering annoyance at me standing fixed to one spot.

"Anika!"

Reid emerged from behind a book with an absurdly long title, waving a hand at me. "Anika, over here!" He was nearly shouting to be heard over the hubbub. I hurried over, not wanting to be caught in the multitude of people who swarmed in and out.

He swept his hand across the space and said with a sardonic tone, "Welcome to the FBI headquarters, pleasant little home of the BAU." He must have seen the panic in my eyes because he put a comforting arm around my shoulders. "It'll be quieter in the BAU. Let's get you cleared, ok?"

I could only nod in agreement. I was too overwhelmed. With practiced efficiency, Reid guided me through the security checkpoint. After I was cleared and given a guest pass, he led me through the maze of hallways that led to the BAU section.

Once inside the BAU, I breathed a little easier. Here it was less crowded and much less chaotic. When we walked in, Gideon stood there, ready to welcome me.

"Good to see you again Anika." He greeted me with a fatherly hug. "Doing well I hope?" I nod in response, wondering where my voice has gone. "I'm going to make this as easy as possible," he says.

The other BAU members were clustered around Elle's desk. As I walked past them, they looked at me as though I had just invaded their country or other such nonsense.

"Her again?" I heard Elle mutter. "We don't need to talk to her again. We need to catch the bastard who's still out there."

"There's nothing else that she can tell us," Morgan said in agreement.

Hotchner said nothing as he watched me walk past and enter an interrogation room with Gideon and Reid.

Gideon settled me into the cold metal chair and began walking me through the interview process. "Everything is recorded on audio and video. But don't be afraid to speak. Hotch is going to be listening on the other side of the glass."

Reid must have seen the look of panic that crossed my face because his words to me were: "Don't worry about Hotch. Just try to recall any details that you may have left out the first time you talked to us."

The passage of time had eased the trauma of my attack, though it was still quite painful to talk about. Not sure of where to begin, I started from the beginning, trying to recall the more minute details of that day. "I was on my way to work at the hotel and I took my usual shortcut through the alley, the alley that connects East Street to West Main Street. I was halfway down the alley when the sound of footsteps came from behind me. They were soft, as though he was wearing soft soled shoes. Then there was the prick at the back of my neck."

Here I paused, not sure of what to speak next. Frustrated I shrug off my shawl and begin to play with the fringes, hoping it would help me think. Unable to stop myself, I begin to mutter to myself.

"What a great way to welcome someone to America; beat them, rape them and leave them for dead. What sort of supak (bastard) does that? Never in my life have I gone out of my way to harm someone; why would someone feel the need to do it to me? What would majka (mother) and otac (father) say if they knew this had happened?"

I was ranting now, but there was no way I could stop myself. All of these thoughts, and more, had been cluttering my mind ever since I was released from the hospital. As I ranted, my accent became thicker, and I used more words from my native tongue.

"Majka and otac would say to me, 'Ani, you should have never gone. It is a vile place, full of kuarenje (corruption).'"

I turned to face Reid and Gideon, who were standing in a corner of the room, watching me carefully. "The only words that supak spoke to me were 'I will stop this plague'. He said that just before he walked away, leaving me broken on the ground. I wish he had granted me the serenity of death."

Tears splashed down my cheeks, dripping onto the table.

"How am I supposed to live with the shame of losing my nevinost (purity) to a rapist supak? How can I face majka and otac? I have been destroyed by Amerika; the one thing my obitelj (family) warned me about. My brats (brothers) would be on a rampage seeking this supak's blood in revenge."

I was in a full emotional episode, nearly shrieking my frustrations at Reid and Gideon. The looks of sympathy in their eyes did nothing to calm me down. Feeling confined in the small interrogation room, I slammed a fist on the door screaming, "Ukazati se! (open up!)

The bewildered guard opened the door and I nearly flew out, leaving a stunned Gideon and Reid in my wake. Heedless of people, I ran through the rows of desks, skirt hitched up to my knees.

"Anika!" Hearing Spencer's voice almost stopped me, but I was too emotional to care. What stopped me dead was hearing Elle.

"What's your problem?" she snapped at me. "Can't come to terms with what happened?"

I spun around to face her, my grey eyes glinting like flint. "Don't you dare criticize me, Elle Greenaway. You don't know what it is like to be an immigrant in an unforgiving world. You have no idea about the degradations of being sidelined as yet another nuisance the government has to worry about. All I ever wanted was to be accepted; to make a new life for myself. Instead I've received cold shoulders and abuse at every turn." I glared at her. "Vi ste nuke (you are ignorant)", I spat.

Before I could fully come to my senses, I fled the FBI building and ran home. I ignored Nadya completely as I fled to my bedroom. There I cried myself to sleep; the hurt expression of Spencer haunting my sleep.

**A/N: **Just a little note: I'd really appreciate it if those of you that read left me a little review, just to let me know that you do in fact like what I'm doing here.


	8. Words

**Crossing Boundaries**

**Chapter 8: Words**

The members of the BAU stood in shocked silence. The accusation Anika had flung in Elle's face had shocked them to the core. Glances were shared amongst them, uncertainty abound. There was an air of awkwardness among them, each one unsure of how to diffuse the situation they found themselves in.

"Shit…" Morgan finally said. It seemed to sum up the feelings quite well.

Hotch emerged from the observation side of the interrogation room, his face clouded with mixed emotions. He gazed seriously at each of his agents. "All of us have behaved inappropriately on this case. I will not take disciplinary action; we have no time." His words fell on the agents ears like death knells. "Reid, Gideon, you both are in charge of this case. All calls are made by you."

Gideon nodded sagely at Hotch. "Garcia, I want rosters of passengers and crewmembers from the ship that brought Miss Paranosz over from Croatia. Elle, Derek, you two are in charge of starting a profile given what she has just told you. JJ, I want the press out of this." The team members jumped to do the requested tasks.

Sitting at his desk, Reid was lost in his own thoughts. His long fingers were idly playing with a Rubik's Cube. There had been something Anika said that was puzzling him greatly.

"Reid…Reid…" Gideon's voice brought him out of his daze. He blinked at Gideon, his brown eyes wide with confusion.

"We're going to review the interview tape," Gideon said simply.

Once inside the quiet observation room, Gideon began playback. The tape had captured every detail of Anika's emotional episode. The two men watched carefully, hoping to find something of value.

That was when Reid heard it. He slammed his hand on the pause button. "Right there."

Gideon was puzzled by the ambiguity of the ambiguity of the statement. He looked at his young genius, waiting for answers.

"That phrase: 'How am I supposed to live with the shame of losing my nevinost (purity) to a rapist supak?'" He pointed to the screen. "Look at her facial expression. I don't speak Croatian, but I can tell she doesn't like this man. Judging by those words and her expression here, the attack in the alley was the second time this unsub raped her. The unsub must have been on the ship from Croatia with her." He slumped down in his chair, running his fingers through his hair. "My God," he muttered, "she's suffered so much in silence."

Gideon clapped Reid on the shoulder, pleased with what the young man had found. "Then let's ease her suffering."


	9. Promise

**Crossing Boundaries**

**Chapter 9: Promise**

I have not moved from my bed in days. I still wear the same teal dress that I had worn to my interview at the BAU. I feel like butter scraped over too much bread. I am devoid of emotion. I search my mind for some sort of rationale, but my mind mocks me.

I hear my bedroom door creak open, and I can tell by the whisper of skirts that it is Nadya. She sits down beside me on the bed and begins to stoke my hair. This simple action makes all of my emotions come rushing back in a wave of unstoppable fury.

"Oh Nadya, I've been such a budala (fool)! I have just turned away the only people who could have helped me."

"Shush Ani," Nadya chides me for being melodramatic. "I do not think they have abandoned you." She gives my shoulders a little rub. The gesture is welcome as they have become sore from lying prone in bed. "Your Dr. Reid cannot have forgotten you, for you have stolen his heart."

I groan in frustration. "But it is he whom I have betrayed!" I bemoan.

Nadya gives me a firm slap on my head. "Enough of this nonsense. You have lain abed for nearly two days. Go bathe; you smell." She tugs at my ankles, forcing me out of my nearly vegetative state. "I know you've been hurt," Nadya continues, "but if you do not keep living, then your attacker has won. Do not give him the glory of beating you down."

Her words make perfect sense, but they are the hardest advice to follow. I must start simply. I crawl out of bed and into the bathroom. In the shower, I let the warm water rinse away all of my anger and sorrow.

Feeling refreshed after an hour in the warm shower, I wander into my bedroom and stare at my open closet. On a whim, I pull out the only pair of jeans that I own. I slip them on and somehow they feel right. Rummaging again, I emerge with a hip length tank in a soft lilac, its front adorned with a splash of tiny silver stars.

As I stand in front of my mirror, I feel confidence starting to grow in my heart. No longer do I look like a meek immigrant. Now I look like I belong; a little exotic, but not out of place. Seeing this startling difference between this self and my old self made me laugh aloud.

Hearing the sound of my laughter must have been extremely disconcerting to Nadya, because she came running into my bedroom. "Ani!" she cried. In the mirror, I saw her eyes widen at my appearance.

"Well?" I ask cautiously. This was the first time that I had worn these clothes since I bought them. I had always feared that giving up my cultural identity in favor of American style would change who I was. But standing here now, I realize that it makes no difference.

"Amazing. I've never seen you look so beautiful." She gives me a sly smirk. "See, I knew if I annoyed you enough you would see my point."

"Ah, you cannot take all the glory," I chide her gently. Then a thought crept into my head. "Nadya, change into your American clothes."

Nadya raised a dark eyebrow quizzically. "Oh?"

I refused to say more. "Just change. I will tell more in due time." A brilliant idea was forming in my head. It was the perfect way for me to lighten my mood and move forward with my life, just as Nadya had said. I went to our money chest that sat in the kitchen and removed some money. After slipping on my sandals and slinging my purse over my shoulder, I waited for Nadya in the common room.

She emerged a few minutes later, looking as exotic as I did. Like me, she wore jeans, but she wore a deep red cap sleeved top. To me she looked like a Russian model, though many would say she was plain. Nadya spun in a circle to show off the only American clothes that she owned.

Bursting with energy and adventure, I grab her hand and pull her out of the door.

"What are we doing?" she asked as we ran down the stairs of our apartment building.

"Our first stop is a drugstore for a camera." She said nothing in response, but gave me a strange look instead. "Nadya Czajkowski, you and I are going to embrace the new world we live in."

The gorgeous summer day held many great surprises for us. In our melodic accents, we nearly hypnotized complete strangers to take pictures of us. Our camera became a photographic journal for our day of unfettered exploration. For once, the fear of my attack was gone from my mind. We spent the day laughing like sisters – being more attached at the hip than we already were. We shopped for new clothes – American clothes, though we added some native spice just to be different. We took a leisurely stroll through the park arm in arm, casually sipping iced coffees as though we had been doing so our entire lives.

"Ani, this is amazing. We should have done this months ago." I could only nod in agreement.

It felt almost illicit to feel this good. Gone were the dank walls of our crumbling apartment. "We should move," I said suddenly. "Get out of the ghetto and into a better neighborhood."

"Where would we go?" Nadya asked, slurping up the last of her coffee.

I thought on that for a while. Then an image filtered into my brain; an image of a place I had seen the other day. "There's a building, to too far from here, that would be perfect. I could use the bottom floor as the dance studio I've always wanted to set up. The top would be a perfect apartment." I sighed wistfully. The image in my head was nearly perfect.

Beside me, Nadya closed her eyes in content as we lounged on a low stone wall. "Do you feel more like yourself?"

"Yes," I assured her. "I'll make you a promise: never again will I allow myself to be crippled by my fears."

She gave me a huge smile and a hug. "I like that promise."


	10. Geeks

**Crossing Boundaries**

**Chapter 10: Geeks**

While things were starting to look up for Anika, things were rapidly falling apart at the Behavioral Analysis Unit. Everywhere they looked, nothing came of it. Every potential lead led them nowhere.

"Garcia," Reid begged, "give me something."

"Sorry loverboy. I've got more dead ends than suburbia."

Reid groaned into his cell phone. "Garcia, we need something!"

"Patience, O Restless One! My children are doing all they can." She gave her computer screen a loving stroke. "Don't worry," she said in a more serious tone. "We'll catch the creep who made Anika's life miserable. You really like that Croatian girl, don't you?"

"Garcia….shush," Reid ground out.

She threw up her hands in defeat. "Alright! Mums the word."

"Call me when you get something, anything."

"Aye, aye sir!" She threw a mock salute before hanging up with her favorite geek. "Geeks are so cute when they're in love," she mused aloud. She turned back to her computers, fingers flying over the keys. There had to be something that she could find. She hated having ghost like unsubs roaming around, taunting her. Besides, she had grown to like the little Croatian woman. Anyone who could make Dr. Spencer Reid emotional was tops in her book.


	11. Landlords

**Crossing Boundaries**

**Chapter 11: Landlords**

_Anika Paranosz_

With a little flourish on my z, I sign off on the down payment for the new apartment. I cannot wait to tell Nadya. Our new landlord, who is a kind elderly gentleman, tells me that we can move in whenever it suited us. He even said that we would work things out with our current landlord.

My current work schedule is odd at the hotel, giving me much more free time to make the necessary preparations for the move. While waiting for Nadya to come home, I put some traditional music on and begin the process of packing. Thankfully, there is not too much.

"Packing already?"

I turn to face her, smiling widely. I jingle our new apartment keys in front of her. "I finished the last of the paperwork today."

She gives a cry of delight before spinning me around in a circle. "A new place!" Her eyes gleam with excitement. Her energy knows no bounds. Her childlike exuberance makes me quite jealous.

After showering the hotel off herself, Nadya throws herself into her packing. She packs with such gusto that eventually she shoos me away, telling me to be useful and make supper while she finishes the packing.

I was in the middle of kneading bread dough when there was a heavy pounding at our door.

"Open up!" came a harsh male voice.

Cautiously, I open the door a crack, only to find the livid face of our landlord staring at me. He roughly shoved open the door, knocking me backwards onto the bare wood floor.

"Leaving?"

I nod mutely, praying that Nadya was staying hidden.

"I don't think so, bitch." He grabs me by the hair and pulls me up to face him. "You're not going anywhere 'til I say so." He smelled like cheap vodka and I nearly choked on the smell.

He didn't get the chance to do much else because from the open door came the cry of, "POLICE! Let go of the woman."

The landlord dropped me roughly. Everything was quite anticlimactic from that point onward. The police were able to apprehend him without a fuss, and he went quietly.

Nadya emerged from her bedroom with a concerned look. "Ani, you all right? I called the police when I heard him come in."

I gave her a hug in thanks. "To answer the question you refuse to ask: no it was not the man who raped me." I sighed heavily, wishing for the hundredth time that this ordeal would be over soon. "Supper?"

Supper was a quiet affair. It was strange to know that we would never be here in this apartment again. Despite the awful neighborhood and disgusting nature of the building, I had grown to like the little apartment. It had been the first place I had ever lived in on my own, so it held a special meaning for me. Halfway through the meal, I jumped up from the table and ran to rummage through my purse.

"On my way back from signing the papers, I got the pictures done." I push the photo envelope across the table to Nadya.

As she looks through them, she smiles and laughs. "I like this one." She shows me the picture of us smiling hugely and wearing ridiculous hats. "We need to frame this one." Then she gets up and rummages through one of the packed boxes. "Aha!" Triumphantly she emerges with a silver picture frame made to look like leaves. Slipping the picture in, she proudly shows off her handiwork. "Perfect!"

When we moved into the new apartment the next day, the whole experience seemed so surreal. It finally felt as though we were living a new life; the sort of life we had dreamed about on the ship voyage.

The week was spent making the place truly ours. We painted the walls in a mixture of bright vibrant colors, and warm inviting tones. All of the wooden molding was stained a deep mahogany, which matched the furniture we had brought with us from the old apartment. I painted me room a deep teal, with a swirling border of white circling the room in three places: on the bottom, in the middle, and at the top. My new curtains were a sheer white, matching the border. Nadya was nearly the complete opposite of me. She painted her bedroom walls with a fiery orange, with maroon squares as her border. The rooms were a perfect visual representation of our two distinct personalities: Nadya, the vibrant one, and me, the more peaceful one.

The finishing touch to the apartment was to place the picture of us on the mantle in a place of honor. We surrounded it with trinkets of our homelands. We marveled at the work we had done. This was truly our new home.


	12. Breakthrough

**Crossing Boundaries**

**Chapter 12: Breakthrough**

Reid's cell phone rang loudly, causing him to jump nearly three feet out of his chair. He glanced around the bullpen, just to make sure no one had seen him jump "Reid," he said in answering his phone. He rubbed the sleep out oh his eyes, trying to wake up.

"Oh lover boy, I have a little idea you might want to hear!"

Reid was now wide awake. "Garcia, please tell me you have something good."

"Oh Spencer, I love it when you beg." After getting a growl of annoyance from Reid, she stopped the sexual undertones. "You'll rejoice to hear this. There was a man on Anika's ship to America that had a few complaints filed against him for sexual assault."

"Garcia, you are a divine goddess!" He could have hugged her, had she been in the same room. "Anything else? A name? A location?"

"Ye ask the right questions, ye seeker of truth! A name I have: Pawel Drenik. Damn these names I can't pronounce. My babies are still trying to get a location on the creep. Since being in America he hasn't been on the grid."

"Damn," Reid muttered. Yet another setback, but the joy of having a name far outweighed the setback. "Keep trying, and a thousand times thank you."

Garcia could not help the giggle that escaped her lips. "Spencer, do me a favor. Go protect the girl, you lovesick puppy."

Reid hung up and ignored Garcia's last words. Instead, he ran full tilt from the bullpen looking for Gideon. He was delirious with joy; they finally had a break.


	13. Late

**Crossing Boundaries**

**Chapter 13: Late**

I awoke to silence. Gone were the depressing sounds that made up life in that miserable slum we had called home. It felt good to awake in a place that was my own. This new apartment held not the same comfort as my home in Croatia, but with time, I could see that might. I was alone this morning, for Nadya had taken the early morning shift. Ever since I had announced that I was going to be opening my own business, the hotel had lessened my shifts.

Still in my pajamas, I wander down to the dance studio. There is still quite a lot of work to be done, but the wood floor had been recently put in. It was bright and clean, begging me to take a few turns upon it. Setting my mug of tea aside, and drawing the curtains closed, I walk barefoot onto the floor. Music strikes up in my head, and I let the thrill of the dance rush through my veins like fire.

It was in these throes of absolute ecstasy that Dr. Spencer Reid found me. I was about to turn an arabesque into a pique turn when I caught sight of him in the corner of my vision.

"Spencer!" My balance is lost and quite ungracefully I tumble to the floor.

"Ani, did I scare you?" His tone was slightly standoff-ish.

"A little." I pick myself up from the floor and turn to face him. "How have you been?" I ask finally, breaking the awkward silence.

"Overwhelmed…" he sighed. "We've been working hard only to meet dead ends. But prospects look good." He glanced around, taking in the new place. "You moved."

His words are not a question. Instead, they are an actualization of the truth. On Spencer's face I see the toll that the case, my case, was taking on him. His face, normally handsome, was gaunt and thin – it spoke volumes as to how much this hurt him. I feel a pang of guilt for being so distant. But I am not ready to face my past, not yet; I still need to heal.

"Yes, we moved." I pick up my tea and drain the last cold remnants. "Neither of us could stand that slum any more. Care to come up and see the new place?"

"Can't; I've got some work to get done. I just wanted to see that you were settled." Adjusting his worn leather briefcase in his shoulder, Spencer left me standing in the middle of the dance floor.

Trying to ignore the painful meeting of the morning, I throw myself into the creation of my dance studio. I clean, organize and paint. As much as I try, I cannot ignore the hurt that I saw in Spencer's eyes. I keel on the floor in a puddle of soft blue paint and sob.

The rest of my afternoon passes in this manner. My heart aches at my folly, leaving me to sob uncontrollably as I try to paint the walls. The weight of everything that I have been through becomes nearly unbearable. I had been on such a good upswing that I believed that things were indeed getting better. Then I saw the unspoken hurt in Spencer's eyes, and that destroyed everything. I have caused my own undoing.

Suppertime has now come and gone, yet Nadya still has not returned home. I begin to worry; this is not typical behavior for her. I give a little snort; I'm starting to sound like Spencer and Gideon when they talk about their "unsubs". Annoyed, I seize the phone and dial the hotel.

"Housekeeping, this is Mrs. Fielding, how can I help you?"

"Mrs. Fielding, its Anika Paranosz. Is Nadya there?"

"I'm sorry; she left a few hours ago…"

I hang up before she can finish. Panic begins to set in. I grab my purse from the entry table and dash outside. The summer evening is humid as the day's last rays warm the pavement. I set my feet to the most obvious route Nadya could have taken on her way to work. I am nearly running down the street, sandals flapping at my heels. I check every alley that she could have possibly turned down to make her walk shorter.

I am now almost within sight of the hotel. Its grandeur towers above the surrounding buildings, reminding me of the wealth that exists in this country. So far, my labor has been for naught, and my hopes begin to diminish. There is now only one alley that separates me from the hotel. Daylight is rapidly diminishing and I have no desire to be caught alone after dark.

I begin to make my way down the alley, carefully looking out for any signs that could tell me that Nadya had been here. There is nothing. I turn around, ready to head home in defeat, when I trip. On the ground, I come face to face with a shoe. I blink rapidly, trying to adjust my eyes to the darkness. Closer examination reveals that the shoe is still attacked to a person.

My heart begins to pound. The body, that of a woman, is covered in dark blood and bruises. The clothes she wore were torn so much that I could not distinguish what they had once been. I can hear my heart pounding violently in my chest. There was no sound of breathing save my own. Already I feared the worst. Nevertheless, all my fear could not protect and prepare me for what I saw next. I carefully brushed aside the blood matted hair to find a lifeless face staring back at me.

I inhale sharply, sobs already beginning to shake my slight frame. "No…" I whisper, not wanting to believe what I see.

A strangled sob escapes my lips. Tears pour hotly down my cheeks and splash onto the pavement. Overcome with emotion, I scramble to my feet and bolt from the alley. I run in the only direction that feels safe.


	14. Guardian

**Crossing Boundaries**

**Chapter 14: Guardian**

My tears are hot and blinding as I run through the streets. Carelessly I push past the people who are out for their evening walks. A few of them growl and yell at me, but I do not care. With each step I take, my heart breaks more and more as I realize the truth.

As the last rays of light glisten on windows then fade away, I find myself facing the FBI building. My body shakes uncontrollably with emotion and by breath comes in hitching sobs. Still, some of my emotion is held back because I refuse to succumb to it out in public. I dash through the front doors of the FBI building, heedless of the security guards.

"Stop right there!" one of them calls after me.

I do not care. Adrenaline courses through my body, pushing me forward. I vault over the security checkpoint and begin towards the stairs. Guards at my heels, I take the stairs two at a time. I have only one goal in my mind.

On their radios, the guards mutter something about a lockdown and a madwoman loose inside the building. I could care less. Once inside the safety of the BAU they cannot do anything to me. I emerge from the stairwell on the BAU floor and I race towards the bullpen, guards still snapping at my heels.

"Spencer!" My voice cries out, harsh with emotion.

The entire team stands in the bullpen, watching me hurtle towards them with shocked expressions on their faces. My long dark waves flow behind me, creating the effect of a bird of prey. Inside the safety of the bullpen, I fling myself at Spencer, burying my head into his chest as all of my emotions come pouring out.

"Ani, what's wrong?"

Between sobs I choke out, "Supak ubiti Nadya! Dakle mnogi krv! Ona je mrtav! Zavu'sio zauvijek! Ja bilo takodjer pokojni!" My voice is pitched at a wail, my words expressing the loss my heart cannot endure. I beat a fist on Spencer's chest in frustration. More tears pour from my eyes, soaking his shirt.

Slowly, Spencer backs up and lowers himself onto a couch, taking me with him. He cradles me gently, like a child. "Ani, dear Ani, shhh…" His voice is soothing and slowly my sobs turn to quiet hiccups.

"What happened?" He wipes my tears from my cheeks with his thumb and strokes my hair. The gesture is so simple, but filled with so much sweetness it nearly undoes me.

"Nadya's been killed," I whisper, burying my head in his neck.

The team shifts uncomfortably. This outcome was apparently not part of their plan or profile. "Fuck" Morgan says before checking his emotions.

Gideon, who has since been taming my hound like security guards with Hotchner, walks over to my side. In the most fatherly of tones he says, "Tell us the story."

I cling to Reid as though he is the only solid thing on the face of the earth. My voice hitches as I speak and my tone is laced with regret. "She was supposed to be home by 1 o'clock. She never came home. I called the hotel after supper, but they told me that she had left hours ago. When I got off the phone, I went looking for her. I should have left sooner. I found her body, mangled and nearly unrecognizable, in the alley across from the hotel."

"Why didn't you call the police?" Elle snaps.

I can feel the cold icy glares that her team members cast her way. My response is calm, for I do not want to start an argument. "In Croatia, you never call the police because they will do nothing," I say simply in a deadpan tone.

Before there can be any voiced protests at my statement, Gideon rises and begins handing out assignments.

"Morgan, Elle, take a CSI team to the scene and find what you can. JJ, make sure the media doesn't get a whiff of this. Garcia, work some magic. Hotch, you and I have a profile to make." Gideon looks down at Reid and me. "Take care of Anika; she needs you more than we do."

The team scrambles about, heading off to their assignments. Exhausted and petrified, I stay huddled in Spencer's lap. I am in absolute shock as to what has just happened. Random images flash in my mind, making my body tremble with fear.

"I can't believe she's gone," I murmur. "My only family in America - gone."

"Shhh…don't think about that." His long arm reaches behind the couch, fishing for something. "Aha! I knew it was here." I give him a questioning look. "I keep a blanket hidden here for when I work late and don't want to go home." He pauses for a moment before adding, "Yes, I realize that I have no life outside the BAU." Spencer shifts me around so that I am lying across the couch, my head pillowed in his lap. Covering me with the blanket he says, "Try and sleep. You've had a rough day."

Sleep is easily found at this point. However, a question that begs to be answered keeps me up a little longer. "Spence, are you angry with me? For not speaking sooner?"

He lowers the thick tome of physics that he had picked up. "Not at all." He soothingly strokes my hair with a hand. "Now sleep…"

The last thing that I remember before slipping off into a deep healing slumber is Spence placing a light, caste kiss on my forehead.

**A/N: Translation:**

"Supak ubiti Nadya! Dakle mnogi krv! Ona je mrtav! Zavu'sio zauvijek! Ja bilo takodjer pokojni!" means "The bastard killed Nadya! So much blood! She's dead! Gone forever!"


	15. Understand

**Crossing Boundaries**

**Chapter 15: Understand**

Morgan, Elle, and JJ arrived at the scene of Nadya's murder with a little trepidation. Already there were people swarming around the alley, trying to catch a glimpse of the scene. JJ immediately went to work, shoving the spectators and press a respectable distance away from the alley.

The remaining two walked down the alley to where the coroner was checking over the body for a preliminary report.

"My God," was the first words out of Elle's mouth when she caught sight of Nadya.

The body that lay before them on the pavement was beyond recognition. The pool of blood that she lay in was still bright red, despite how long she had been lying there. There were violent, serrated knife wounds all over her exposed body, and her clothes lay torn to shreds nearby.

Elle turned to the coroner. "Can you tell us a story of what happened?"

The coroner, a man in his thirties, stood slowly, still overwhelmed by the violence of the crime. "Many horrific things happened to this young woman. Judging by the bruising, she was beaten with fists first, then forced to the ground, after which he raped her. The first knife wounds she received were done in torture; the ones that followed were for the intent of killing her. Many of her bones have been shattered, most likely during the initial struggle and during the rape. Cause of death is exsanguination."

Elle looked ready to be sick. Her face was flushed and she was unsteady on her feet.

Morgan could not help the next words that flew out of his mouth unbidden. "This is Nadya, the only friend Anika had in the country, the only friend who understood what it means to be an immigrant. Imagine the immense heartache you would feel if you were in Anika's place. Do you have any understanding of what Anika has been through, now that you've seen what this unsub did to her best friend?" 

Leaning heavily on the dirty brick wall of a building, Elle took a deep breath. "I don't know, Morgan. All I know is that it's exactly like what I went through with the Fisher King."

"No its not." JJ snapped when she came over. "This is completely different from what you experienced. You survived; Nadya didn't."

"But…"

"No," Morgan said cutting her off. "Can you not see that this fate was meant for Anika? Nadya was killed because she wasn't Anika."

Morgan and JJ began walking back to the SUV they had taken to the scene, leaving Elle behind them to stew in her thoughts. It was a dark place where Elle resided now. She was blinded by the pain and anger she felt from dealing with the Fisher King. The ride back to the BAU was tense; Morgan and JJ pissed at Elle, and Elle brooding.


	16. Caught

**Crossing Boundaries**

**Chapter 16:Caught **

Meanwhile, back in the BAU office, Gideon and Hotch were going over everything they knew about Pawel Drenik.

"This guy is an absolute scumbag." Hotch was taken aback at Gideon's sudden outburst of anger. Gideon continued: "He obviously has some sort of perceived intimate connection with Anika." He leaned heavily on his hands. "I just wish she felt safe enough to talk about this."

Hotch flipped through the file papers. "At least she was able to come to us before something happened to her. Look at what we know: we know who he is and we know that he's after Anika. We just need to know where he is right now."

Gideon dialed a few numbers and put the phone on speaker.

"Office of Divination. Speak and ye shall learn truth," Garcia's voice echoed through the room.

"Garcia, its Gideon. I need to know if you've got anything yet."

"So far this guy's got nothing. He's sure to have screwed up somewhere. Believe me, I'll find him if he has."

"Good, keep it up." Gideon hung up and left the office. Hotch trailed right behind, keeping a watchful eye on his superior. Gideon paused on the highwalk, looking down to where Reid and Anika slept on the couch.

"Let them sleep," Hotch quietly advised. "Anika's safe here. Reid's not going to let her go anywhere. The rest will do them both good."

"I just wish we had something."

Hotch looked at Gideon sympathetically. "We all want to make this right. We're all trying as hard as we can. Things will work out."

Then, Morgan, JJ, and Elle walked into the bullpen, back from Nadya's murder scene. They walked up to the highwalk so they could talk to Gideon and Hotch without disturbing Reid and Anika on the couch.

"You get anything from the scene?" Gideon questioned.

"We know that Nadya wasn't the intended victim," Morgan said. "The wounds prove it. The unsub's after Anika and he's not going to stop until he gets her."

Garcia came running towards them, a piece of paper fluttering in her hand. "Listen, I've got something. This creep messed up big time. He just applied for a bank account. Here's the address he registered with."

Hotch snatched the proffered slip of paper and glanced through it. "Let's go."

Everyone started moving, heedless of the noise they made. Amid the chaos, Reid awoke and looked owlishly around. "What's going on?"

Gideon motioned to Reid to stay still and quiet. He walked over and knelt by the couch. "We've got a location on Nadya's killer and Anika's attacker."

"Where?"

He read off the address.

Reid blanched. "That's right near where Ani and Nadya used to live! He must have been able to watch their every move."

Gideon placed a fatherly hand on Reid's shoulder. "I want you to keep her safe here. If we come back with the unsub, try not to let her see. It could be disastrous."

Without another word, Gideon motioned to Hotch that he was ready to go. The entire team took off with some FBI service men and headed out towards the location. Tact was not the agenda of this raid. They were going to catch this man, and end Anika's torment.

The SUV pulled into the slum and parked a block away from the address for Pawel Drenik. The day was cloudy, casting a dim light all through the slum. Such dim light accentuated the utter filth that permeated the slum. Everyone looked around, appalled and uncomfortable in a place like this.

"This is where they used to live?" Elle asks in disbelief.

"Elle, focus," Hotch snaps.

Silent as death, the team assembles with the FBI service men outside of the apartment belonging to Drenik. After getting the cue, Hotch pounds on the door. "Pawel Drenik, FBI!"

Inside, a lamp falls to the floor, making a loud crash as it hits the wooden floor. That single sound is enough cause for the team to move in. In a single stroke, they break down the cheap wooden door and begin to clear the tiny, filthy apartment.

Various shouts of "Clear!" echo in the sparse environment. Gideon kicks the broken lamp in annoyance. "He's got to be here," he mutters to himself.

"Hotch! Gideon!" Morgan frantically cries.

The two men rush towards the sound of Morgan's voice as it echoes out of a tiny back room. They find Morgan and Drenik locked in a vicious fight.

"Saving the little whore?" Drenik growls as he takes a swing at Morgan. "She doesn't deserve it. She has me. All she needs is me."

It is this break in focus that allows Morgan to wrestle Drenik to the ground. The cuffs close around Drenik's wrists with a satisfying click. "She never needed you," Morgan grinds out between his teeth as he hauls Drenik to his feet.

"Bring him in," Hotch orders. "There are a few questions that need answering."

Morgan hands Drenik off to the service men before joining his fellow agents.

"I wonder what he means," Elle ponders aloud.

"He'll tell us," Gideon says at last. "He feels he's justified, so he'll let us know everything."

"Are you sure?"

Gideon gives his team a crooked smile. "Absolutely."


	17. Chocolate

**Crossing Boundaries**

**Chapter 17: Chocolate**

"Spence?" My voice is thick with sleep. I open my eyes to see Spencer looking down at me with his soft chocolate ones. He flashes me a smile, white teeth glinting in the office light.

"Hey, sleepyhead," he chuckles.

A wave of comfort and security wash over me as he laughs. "Where is every one?" I finally ask.

Spencer's face clouds, as though he does not want to tell me the truth.

"Spence…they went to find him, didn't they?" I ask quietly.

He nods in response, face still clouded and guarded.

Instead of pressing him for more, I abruptly change the subject to something more trivial. "Coffee?" I ask brightly, trying to dispel the dark mood which has possessed Spencer.

"…Sure…" he answers in a distracted tone. He idly rubs his thumb over the pages of his book, causing the edges to curl.

I stand, giving him a comforting squeeze on the shoulder. On my way to the break room, I nearly knock over Garcia. "Oh! Garcia, hello. I wasn't paying attention…"

She peers at me through her bright red glasses. "Anika Paranosz, I presume?"

"…Yes…"

Garcia breaks into a huge smile. "Wonderful to meet you." Her voice then dips down to a more serious tone. "Terribly sorry to hear about your friend Nadya."

From outside the break room in the bullpen, I can hear Hotch ask, "Reid, where's Anika?"

"She went to get coffee."

Inside the break room, I can hear a scuffle break out in the bullpen. I dare not poke my head around the door frame. But I cannot help myself. When I peer around the frame, I see the team, followed by the service men leading the man who has made my life a complete misery in recent times.

I catch Garcia looking at me critically. She then offers me an arm. "Walk with me? I've got some brownies that'll fix everything."

I sigh heavily in disbelief. I cast my gaze back towards the bullpen.

"Anika, listen to me. These guys aren't going to let this creep get away with anything." She loops my arm through hers. "You need some girl time," she says matter-of-factly.

"Alright," I concede. I allow Garcia to lead me away to her computer room, or inner sanctum as she calls it.

Once we are inside with the door firmly closed behind us, she shoves a plate of brownies at me and bombards me with questions.

"So, my fair Croatian princess, what do you think of our dear Dr. Spencer Reid?"

I blink at her. "What?"

She smiles smugly at me. "I have it on good authority that the dear doctor is head over heels for you."

Thoughtfully, I munch on one of the brownies. "These are amazing!"

"Thank you, but answer the question."

Damn, she did not take the bait of topic. I sigh in resignation and ponder the best way to answer the question. What she told me, if it was true, was quite intriguing. "Well…he's a sweet man. I've never met anyone like him before. Intelligent men are hard to come by wilds of Croatia." This elicits a snort from Garcia.

"Honey, intelligent men are hard to come by anywhere. What do you think I work in the FBI?"

I smile a little before continuing. "I suppose what I'm trying to say is that I don't have the best history with men. My five brothers were abusive and cruel towards me; since I was the youngest and the only female. Then, I am raped on my voyage to America and then again four months later…"

The door opens and I trail off. On the other side is JJ, looking weary.

"You mind if I hang for a bit? The boys and Elle are having a smack-down with the suspect." From out of no where, she plunks a case of beer on the table.

Garcia grins. "You little rebel. Grab a chair and a brownie. Get comfy." She then turns back to me. "But, here's the heart of the matter. Would you consider it, if things had been different?"

I cannot help the blush that creeps into my cheeks. Even though she does not say it in front of JJ, I know what she is on about. "Yes," I quietly mutter.

"What's going on?" JJ inquires between bites of brownie and sips of beer.

Garcia gestures towards me with a hand holding a beer. "Anika here, has just admitted that, if things were different, she would date our Spencer!"

JJ actually giggles. "That's amazing! He and I went out once, but it just didn't work out." She looks at me over the mouth of her beer bottle. "You on the other hand, you have potential. Both of you are sweet and kind, but in different ways. You are complements of each other, despite the cultural boundaries that so blatantly exist."

Much of the remaining night is passed in this manner. I am told by both JJ and Garcia numerous times that I am perfect for Spencer. After a while, I begin to see the truth of what they say. My heart lifts slightly at this hope, but it is too soon to see a clear answer. Eventually, JJ and I turn on Garcia. We easily get her to admit that her unrequited love for Morgan. She blames her loose tongue on the chocolate and beer, but JJ and I know better.

By nearly two o'clock in the morning, the brownies and beer are only a vague distant memory. But it was exactly the sort of night that I needed to put my jumbled thoughts in order. I have reached a conclusion; the team will not like it, but it is what must be done. Croatian tradition dictates that it must be so


	18. Fury

**Crossing Boundaries**

**Chapter 18: Fury**

I awoke curled in a corner of Garcia's computer room, my dark hair spilling across my face. JJ lies beside me, an arm flung across her eyes. We are curled up with our backs to each other. Empty beer bottles are scattered at our feet, and the empty plate lies abandoned in the middle of the floor. Across the room, Garcia is slouched in her chair, glasses thrown casually on the desk in front of her.

Sitting up, I begin to stretch out the cramps that have settled into my limbs. My head is slightly fuzzy due to the mass consumption of alcohol. I blindly search about for the water bottle that I had before I fell asleep. Garcia is next to awake, frantically searching for her glasses.

"Where the hell are they?" she mutters loudly.

The noise of Garcia's rustling wakes JJ. She glares at her friend before asking, "What time is it?" Like me, JJ would rather be sound asleep right now, despite the time of day.

As Garcia peers at her computer screen for the time, the door behind us flings open, causing all of us to shriek in surprise.

"Garcia…." Gideon's voice trails off as he hears us shriek and observes us looking like a bunch of ragamuffins in yesterday's clothes.

"What?" Garcia snaps.

He looks at us carefully, as though trying to determine what three young women are doing crowded in the AV room. Three grumpy faces glare at him, waiting for an answer to the unwanted intrusion. Carefully he explains, "Everyone is needed in the meeting room."

Reluctantly, we all file out, wandering like wraiths down the hall behind Gideon. Passing by a clock on the wall, I observe that it is already noon. I nudge JJ and Garcia to show them the clock and they both groan. Upon entering the meeting room, we receive strange looks from the rest of the team who are bright eyed and in fresh clothes. Elle begins to speak, but Gideon cuts her off with a look.

"As you all know," Hotch begins, "we have brought Pawel Drenik into custody. However, he refuses to speak to us, in spite of any angle we take. All he will say is 'she needs me.'"

All eyes shift to look at me. Every pair of eyes wants answers; answers I will not tell.

"If you would just tell us your connection to Drenik…"

"No" I snap sharply, cutting Gideon off. "I will speak to him."

"I can't let you do that."

I glare at him, my eyes glinting hard. "Then you will get no answers." I turn away from them and walk out of the meeting room. Long strides talk me nearly to the end of the high walk before I am stopped by a voice.

"Anika!"

I turn to see Elle jogging after me. The rest of the team has emerged from the meeting room, waiting to see what happens.

"You can't go in there. That is the same man who nearly killed you and did kill Nadya! Its absolute insanity!" Elle's voice rises a few decibels as she continues her rant. "You're best friend was murdered yesterday, there is no way you've recovered enough to be able to face him. Tell me what you want to talk about. You're not strong enough to face him." Her voice is accusatory, as though she is the only woman able to face scumbags like Drenik.

My temper flares and before I am able to stop myself, my hand flies through the air and slaps Elle forcefully across the mouth. "You know nothing. How dare you talk about strength when you yourself are still haunted by what happened to you? I must face him. He has many things which he must atone for. Croatian tradition demands that victims face the one who did them wrong. You have no right, Elle Greenaway, to tell me what I can and cannot do. You are not my master."

I pause for a moment to collect my thoughts. Vindictively, I smile as I see Elle wiping at the blood that trickles from the corner of her mouth. I realize that my accent is flowing thick, but there is nothing that I can do to prevent this. Elle has incurred the fury that I have held dormant for so long. Taking a deep breath, I continue my verbal assault.

"I am sick of being treated as though I am made of glass. If I was to be broken, it would have happened the first time that supak raped me. It will be a miracle if I can bear children in the future. I am blessed that I am still alive. Have you not realized that I am made of stronger stock than you think?" This address is presented to the whole team. Quickly, I whip about to face Elle again. "Miss Greenaway, think upon all that I have said. It is time you dropped the femme fatale act. It's alright to need someone."

Then I turn back to the team and address Hotch and Gideon in specific. "I will speak to Drenik." There is no room for argument in my voice. This is my decision and I will see it to the last. "Have him brought to an interrogation room." As consolation I add, "You all may observe to get your answers, but it will only be me and Drenik in the room."

Gideon looks reluctant to obey. Hotch on the other hand says to me, "I will have the order placed." He disappears into the office to make the call. The rest of the team looks at me, anxiety clouding their eyes. The prospect of facing Drenik terrifies me, but I know it must be done.


	19. Past

**Crossing Boundaries**

**Chapter 19: Past**

"Everything's ready," Hotch says to me a little while later. I rise from the couch next to Spencer's desk, unsure of this upcoming encounter. Hotch leads me down to interrogation, but pauses outside the door. "We'll all be in the observation side if you need anything…"

I place a hand on his arm. "I'll be fine. Just listen carefully so you can learn what you need." Suddenly, all of this seems like a terribly bad idea. My hand is frozen on the doorknob, unwilling to open the portal to misery. Then, there is a gentle warmth of reassurance on my free hand. I look back to find Spencer, who has taken my hand in his. Comforted, I proceed forward.

Upon my entrance, Drenik looks up and smiles ferally at me. "Anika, 'cao."

"Pawel," my voice is hard like stone. I do not take the chair opposite him; instead, I stand with my back against the wall.

"Ja znam ti volja vratise me, mojo draga milina." (I know you would come back to me, my dear sweet Anika.)

"You will speak in English…"

He cuts me off sharply. "Oh? You are American now? Forgetting your people?"

In one fluid motion, I step forward and slam my hands on the table. "I will never forget my people. It is you who has forgotten your people."

Drenik causally leans back in his metal chair, unaffected by my outburst. "I missed your fire."

"You will not speak to me like that."

"Oh but I can, and will, because you are mine!"

I back away, shaking slightly. His possessive attitude towards me is unnerving. "I am no man's. I refused to marry you, and still do."

"Wanton whore! I will have you!" He lurches forward, only to be held down by the chains attached to the chair. I am glad for the restraints. The gods only know what he might try if he had free mobility.

"What is all of this about? You followed me from Croatia to America just to claim me as property?"

Drenik looks at me through slitted eyelids. "You are so innocent." He settles back into a lounging position in the chair as best he can. "You were not easy to find, whore. You're eldest brother, though, was willing to talk."

I can feel my face flush in anger. "What have you done to my family?" I grind out between clenched teeth.

Drenik laughs at me, his tone cold and heartless. Before speaking, he grins wickedly. "Your family is quite stubborn. But after some, convincing, your eldest brother told me where you planned to go. Sadly, he did not survive my intense questioning. Apparently, the rest of your family is cut from better cloth than he."

Tears well in my eyes. While my brothers had been abusive towards me, they were still my brothers and I loved them. I touch my neck where my eldest brother, Jatin, had left a scar. Drenik's next words pull me sharply from my introspection.

"I will have you, Anika. You cannot fight it. You have been bought and paid for. I come to collect what is due."

"I am not property!" My anger has now bubbled over, pouring out of me in violent torrents. Once again, I slam my hands against the table. "You have no right to me, Pawel Drenik." It is now my turn to grin at him wickedly. "The magistrate did not accept the bribe. I remain as free as the day I was born. You have no legal claim to me; you have not placed a ring on my finger nor have you gotten me with child."

He stares at me, dumbfounded. "The magistrate…"

"You should have known the magistrate was a more honorable man than that," I snap. "He is after all, my uncle." With a sick sort of satisfaction, I watch as Drenik realizes he was beaten at his own game. I then decide to suddenly change the topic. "What about Nadya?"

"It was supposed to me you that walked home at that time…"

I let loose a harsh laugh. "Did you not notice that I had quit that hotel job? Did you not notice that we had moved? You are not as swift as you claim to be."

Defeated, Drenik places his head in his hands. "This was supposed to have worked. The magistrate was supposed to have made the marriage certificate. I was supposed to have you."

Tilting my head to the side, allowing my waves of dark hair to spill over my shoulder, I ask the question I have wanted to ask for a year. "Why me?"

His answer sickens me. "Because you have a strong spirit I wanted to break. But instead, you've picked yourself up and become stronger. Your quiet strength makes me feel less of a man. If I could destroy that, I could be more of a man."

I look up and peer at the one way window. Even though I cannot see them, I know that they have all the information they need. From the pocket of my jeans, I remove a black ribbon. It is the armband of a condemned man.

As I tie it around Drenik's forearm, I recite the traditional sentencing speech. "Ja, Anika Paranosz, naboj ti kraj, Pawel Drenik, silovanje i ubiti Nadya Czajkawski i Jatin Paranosz. Mo'ci bogs suditi ti kao one razumjeti pogadan." When I am finished, I walk out of the interrogation room, leaving my painful past behind me.

**Translation:**

"Ja, Anika Paranosz, naboj ti kraj, Pawel Drenik, silovanje i ubiti Nadya Czajkawski i Jatin Paranosz. Mo'ci bogs suditi ti kao one razumjeti pogadan."

Means:

I, Anika Paranosz, charge thee, Pawel Drenik, with rape and the murders of Nadya Czajkawski and Jatin Paranosz. May the gods judge thee as they see fit."


	20. Family

**Crossing Boundaries**

**Chapter 20: Family**

Out in the hallway, once the interrogation room door swung closed, I slid down the wall onto the floor. Mentally exhausted and drained of nearly all emotion, I cradle my head in my hands. I can barely believe that I have just confronted Drenik. The encounter has left me ragged, and my body trembles slightly. To my left, I feel Spencer settle on the floor beside me. Wordlessly, I place my head in the hollow of his shoulder.

"You did well," he murmurs against my hair.

"It still does not atone for the deaths of Nadya and Jatin. Tears well up in my eyes, then slowly roll down my cheeks. Spencer wraps his arms around me and lets me cry out my tears.

The shuffle of feet alerts me that the rest of team has emerged from the interrogation room. They are silent, unsure of what to say to me. From the corner of my eye, I can see Gideon give Spencer a helpless look. Apparently, none of them know how to deal with what I have just done.

Finally, Hotch summons enough courage to place a gentle hand on my shoulder and say, "Thank you. You've done something that the rest of us could not." Such words coming from Hotch are the highest praise possible.

Garcia comes running up to our group breathing heavily. "I hate to ruin the party, but there's a man here from the Immigration Office who wants to see Anika."

My head snaps out of Spencer's shoulder. "Immigration?" Panic begins to creep into my voice. This was not at all expected.

"I'll come with you," Spencer murmurs in my ear as we stand.

Over the past few days, I have come to appreciate Spencer's care and concern for me more and more. It is touching to know someone cares, considering that I am now alone. Alone in a society that is not willing to accept me.

As he and I walk down to where the immigration agent is meeting us, I try to pull myself together. My hands have Spencer's forearm in a death grip, as both my heart and mind fear for the worst.

"Anika, look at me."

Spencer's voice is firm and compelling. I raise my grey eyes to meet his brown ones. Stupid profiler tricks for making me compliant.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Spencer's face is drenched in concern. His free hand tucks an errant lock of my hair behind my ear. In a soft voice he says, "I've come to care for you a great deal. I couldn't live with myself if something happened…"

His words, though few, are powerful comfort to me. In gratitude, I hug him fiercely, nuzzling my face in his neck. Despite his thin frame, he holds me tightly, as though the building's air conditioning could blow me away any moment. I realize in this moment that I have come to love the awkward Dr. Spencer Reid. Braver now more than ever, I continue my walk towards the immigration agent.

An older gentleman, perhaps in his early fifties, stands waiting for me. His grey eyebrows rise in surprise when he sees me accompanied by an agent. However, he deals with the situation gracefully.

"Miss Paranosz? Hello. I'm agent Devon Finley with the US Immigration Services." He pauses, passing an even more questioning glance at Spencer because he has not left.

"Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid of the Behavioral Analysis Unit stays with me," is my curt reply to the unasked question.

"Certainly. This way please."

While we follow Agent Finley, I mutter to Spencer, "Your name is such a mouthful." He declines to answer, but instead takes my hand in his.

"We have a simple matter to resolve. If you could just come inside the office, we can settle it quickly."

As soon as he opens the door, I dash forward, yanking Spencer behind me.

"Majka! Otac!" I shriek.

"Ani!" they exclaim in unison. I drop Spencer's hand to embrace my parents. They embrace me warmly and kiss my cheeks. In rapid, musical Croatian, I explain everything that has happened since I left home. At first, their expression is one of shock, but then it turns to shame.

My father looks at me gently before speaking. For the benefit of all, he speaks in careful English. "I am sorry, Ani, for not being more supportive of you. But you have not suffered alone. Jatin was not the only one murdered by Pawel. He also destroyed Dimitri, Laslo, and Kalman in his quest for you. Now only you and Miko survive."

I stare at my parents, aghast. "Four are dead?" It is too much for me to handle. Not only have I lost my best friend who was nearly a sister, I have lost the majority of my family. I sink into the closest available chair as my sorrow washes over me. My mother cradles me as though I am a toddler again as she strokes me hair in soothing motions while singing a folk song.

After a time, I come to myself again. I wipe my face with the back of my hand, then look about the small office. Off to the side stands Spencer, carefully standing away from my family dynamic. Seeing him alone like that saddens me.

"Spence, come meet my parents."

He awkwardly comes forward in answer to my call.

"Majka, Otac, this is Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid. Spence, my majka Alina and otac Vadim."

Before he can offer a hand in greeting, my mum swoops forward, seizes him firmly by the shoulders and kisses both cheeks. My mother is tiny like I am, so she needs to stand on her tiptoes just to put her hands on his shoulders. From the side, I can see the blush that creeps across his face at receiving such a gesture. Once my mum releases Spencer, my father steps forward and wraps him in a mighty bear hug.

"Thank you for watching over my baby girl."

"You…..you're…welcome," Spencer stammers.

All the while, Agent Finley has stood quietly off to the side, observing the family reunion. "If I could distract you all for a few moments, there is a very small matter to take care of. Miss Paranosz, your parents have expressed that they would like to remain in the US. Do you know where they could live?"

The answer comes easily. "They can live with me." We spend the next half hour going over the necessary paperwork. It is a tedious process, but my heart is lightened by my family's presence. When everything is done and in order, I turn to Spencer saying, "We should go ease Gideon's fears."

Spencer nods in agreement. "They've all probably feared the worst."

"Come," I say to my parents. "Meet the people who have kept me safe."

We bid goodbye to Agent Finley before heading back to the BAU. As we walk, Spencer slips a hand through mine, interlacing our fingers. I smile up at him, and walk a little closer to him. The gesture does not go unnoticed by my mother. She nudges me with her elbow, then nods towards our interlaced fingers. Her eyes are filled with questions. I look at her, begging her silence. Blessedly, my father does not make any mention of it.

Upstairs in the BAU, the team stands clustered about Morgan's desk, relief that the case if over glowing on their faces. But there is another emotion there; one I did not expect to see. I see concern about the potential outcome of my meeting with the Immigration Office. When they see me approach with Spencer, they all break out into smiles.

"Ani!" Garcia and JJ cry in unison before they come dashing towards me, arms open for embrace. "You survived!" Garcia exclaims.

"They just wanted to talk to me about my parents." I gesture behind me where my parents stand beside Spencer. "Everyone, these are my parents, Alina and Vadim."

The team all says polite greetings as I introduce them one by one. Before we can get much further, the service men bring Drenik out from the interrogation room. My father catches sight of him, and lunges forward.

"Drenik! Ti podao supak!" (Drenik! You vile bastard!)

I lunge after my father. "Otac, stati! (Father, stop!) It was almost comical to have tiny me trying to hold back my father who is built like a mountain. "Otac molim stati. Nema potreba." (Father, please stop. There is no need.) Somehow, my pleading calms my father from outright attacking Drenik.

My father looks Drenik squarely in the eye before speaking. "You are also condemned for my sons Dimitri, Laslo, and Kalman, along with Jatin and Nadya." He spits in Drenik's face before returning to his wife. Drenik stands there, baffled.

"How did you find out?"

"You are not as clever as you think you are Drenik. This is one of the many reasons why I refused to allow you to marry Anika. My daughter deserves better than the filth that you are." My father places a protective arm about my shoulders.

"Get him out of here," Hotch commands.

A yawn escapes my mouth. Suddenly, all of the excitement of the day has caught up to me. "Is it alright if I went home? The thought of sleeping in a real bed sounds amazing right now."

Gideon smiles at me in his fatherly way. "Absolutely. You've done quite a bit these past two days. Go home, rest, spend time with your family. Morgan will dive you all home." Gideon looks around to the rest of his team who wear similar sleepy countenances. "In fact, all of you go home and get some decent rest. You've got the next 48 hours off."

A cheer rises up from the BAU. Eagerly we all leave the BAU in search of our own beds for some quality sleep. Tomorrow is a task to tackle when it gets here, not now.


	21. Lament

**A/N: **The lament sung in here is "Cymbeline": words written by William Shakespeare, as sung by Loreena McKennitt; music composed by Loreena McKennitt, (copyright 1992 Quinlan Road)

**Chapter 21: Lament**

With little ceremony, I brought my mother and father home to the apartment that had once been the home of Nadya and me. It was strange to come home to an apartment that would no longer have her bright smiling face. Her absence has created a void in the bright atmosphere. I shake my head violently; she would not want me to wallow.

I settle my parents into Nadya's old room. Both of them act with respect towards what was once Nadya's personal space. I reassure them that Nadya will not mind. Once they are settled, I wander down the hall to my room. As exhaustion overcomes me, I collapse into bed and allow sleep to caress me like a gentle lover.

The next morning, I awake to find that mama has made breakfast for the three of us. I enter the kitchen to see my father at the table, practicing his English with the morning paper. I settle into the chair next to my father, and steal a sip of his coffee.

"Your friends are intriguing," mama says from the stove. "Papa and I are pleased that you have found such honorable people." She places a plate piled high food in front of me.

"If only you could have met Nadya, mama. You would have loved her."

My mother must sense the regret that is in my voice because she says sharply, "Anika! Listen to me: Poslije kiše dolazi sunce (After the rain comes sun)."

From behind his paper, my father remarks, "You already have some sun with that young doctor…"

"Papa!" I cry, scandalized that he actually noticed. I had hoped that he had not noticed the silent exchange between Spencer and myself.

"I would not mind having him as a son in law…"

Childishly, I fling a piece of toast my father. Out of habit, he blocks the onslaught with his paper. This has been a traditional breakfast fight technique ever since I was little. "Papa, please don't…" I beg him to be silent on that particular matter.

"All I'm saying, Ani, is that you have more sun around you than you care to admit." He went back to devouring his paper, heedless of the glare that I was giving him.

I retreat to my bedroom so that I can think things over in peace. Somehow, having my parents here makes things seem almost normal. They are holding together the strands of my frayed life that are threatening to fly apart. I understand that I have been blessed with knowing understanding people, but sometimes it does not seem quite right. I am not sure if I would consider the BAU team real friends; not yet at least. We have only really known each other in the capacity of my case, and that is hardly grounds for creating a solid friendship. Sighing, I pick up the phone to finish making Nadya's funeral arrangements.

**-.-.-.-**

Three days later, the day of Nadya's funeral finally arrives. July has turned into August, bringing with it bright sunshine. Irrationally, I feel that the sun mocks my sadness with its cheeriness. As I walk to the cemetery, I face the reality that I must now bury my best friend. I pause, wondering how Hotch and Gideon feel when they have to bury another fallen comrade.

The entire ceremony is held by Nadya's grave. As I stand at the edge of the grave, the beaded hem of my black dress dances across the grass. This playful breeze then catches the black lace veil which covers my face.

Mama and Papa stand directly behind me; Mama sniffling loudly into a handkerchief while Papa rubs her shoulders. The BAU team is here as well, dressed in somber garb to match their solemn expressions. Everyone's mouth bears the same grim line, and a small part of me wants to go over and smack it right off their faces.

"…and so, Nadya is returned to the Earth that bore her."

The priest finishes the prayer, then nods to me. I release the handful of soil from my fingers and watch it settle on top of Nadya's coffin. Next, I toss a single orange lily before the gravediggers begin to cover the coffin. Orange lilies were always Nadya's favorite.

It is the first shovelful of soil that breaks my fragile strength. The tears that I have been holding back all week pour down my face with the violence of water breaking a dam. I fall to my knees beside the grave and mourn freely. Between my sobs, my voice hitches in a haunting lament:

"Fear no more the heat o' the sun

Nor the furious winters' rages;

Thou thy worldly task hast done,

Home art gone…

Fear no more the frown o' th' great'

Thou art past the tyrant's stroke

Care no more to clothe and eat;

To thee the reed is as the oak.

The scepter, learning, physic, must

All follow this and come to dust."

Only vaguely am I aware of the team leaving me alone with Nadya. The gravediggers have since filled in the grave, and I am left with a mound of grassless soil. I press my hand to the top, and whisper, "I'm so sorry Nadya. I'm so sorry I dragged you into this mess."

A light breeze shifts my veil, alerting me to a presence. I lift my tearstained face to find Spencer selling down beside me on the grass. He says nothing to me. Instead, he wraps an arm about my shoulders in comfort. After a time, he says to me, "There's no need to blame yourself for this. I think everything happens for a reason, even if we can't see why." He idly strokes my hair before continuing. "You have a saying, one that I think goes, 'Bez muke nema nauke.'"

Weakly I smile at his words. "Without suffering there is no learning. Someone's been brushing up on their Croatian."

"Its not easy. In all seriousness though, don't let this undo you. You've worked too hard to get what you want to let it all go. You got out of the immigrant ghetto and you've got a ballet studio for kids that's doing quite well I hear."

I look at him sharply. "What did you say?"

He looks genuinely surprised at my astonishment. "You didn't know? I read a review of your studio in the paper a week ago. The reviewer says that his daughter absolutely loves the place and you."

"They like it? And me?"

Spencer rummages in his coat pocket for a moment before his hand emerges with a slightly crumpled newspaper clipping. "And I quote: 'My daughter Emma and her friends in Ms. Paranosz's afternoon ballet class only have the best things to say about their teacher. She's gentle and kind, and relates well to the kids. If you have a child who wishes to start learning ballet, this is the place to send them.' I wasn't lying to you Ani."

"I had no idea they were saying these things." I cannot hide the amazement that creeps into my voice. I lean over, just to make sure the clipping is real.

"You're doing amazing things for these girls, Ani. At least for their sakes don't fall apart."

Spencer's words are exactly what I have needed to hear. They put everything in place so succinctly that I cannot ignore the truth. Falling apart into a million pieces will accomplish nothing. Instead, I firmly grasp my future and set my feet back on the path that they had tried to walk before. "What about you, Spence?"

"I'm always just a phone call away if you need me.

**-.-.-.-**

I have crossed the boundaries of countries in search of a better life. With each step I took in my journey, I encountered things I never thought could happen to a person. What I experienced here in America bore to the world the deepest, most raw emotions a person can have. When everything is weighed and measured, I have achieved part of that elusive, somewhat misleading American Dream.

As I stand in the middle of this brightly lit ballet studio surrounded by young girls, I occasionally glance at the clock, waiting for the other part of my American Dream. Then, at precisely 4 o'clock, in walks my American Dream, wearing the guise of an awkward but sweet man. The girls, clad in pink leotards and ballet skirts, squeal "Dr. Reid!" then swarm him like flies to honey. He laughs and greets them all before looking up to see me laughing at the scene before me. And when that brilliant smile flashes at me, I know that everything is just right.

**Fin**

**A/N: **That's the end. I hope you all have enjoyed reading this as much as I have writing it. I have another Criminal Minds fic in the works, so look for that coming out soon. Reviews are nice! See you all again sometime!


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